


everything has changed

by tsaritsas



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo, The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, F/M, Fluff, Funny, at least i'm trying to be, coffee shop AU, its so bad im sorry, zoyalai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:55:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26201515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsaritsas/pseuds/tsaritsas
Summary: Nikolai can't be bothered to make his own coffee so he goes to buy one instead. The girl working the cash register thinks he's annoying.
Relationships: Nikolai Lantsov/Zoya Nazyalensky
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	everything has changed

Nikolai thought that maybe he had made the wrong decision. 

Which was weird, frankly, because it wasn’t something that he normally thought. But here he was, 8:30 am, waiting in line for a cup of coffee that for some reason he hadn’t bothered to just make himself. So he stared at his phone, as he waited in line for a cup of coffee that probably wouldn’t be that good anyway. 

“Hello?” 

He looked up to see that apparently it was his turn to order, and suddenly he could not remember what the hell he wanted. His eyes met the blue ones of the girl standing in front of him at the cash register. He was entranced, thought he couldn’t quite pinpoint as to why. The glare she gave him certainly wasn’t helping. 

Nikolai gave a quick look to the list of drinks along the top of the wall behind her. “Small caffe latte, please.” 

“Name?”

“Nikolai.”

The girl sighed. “Alright,” she said, punching the keys on the register, “that'll be $4.47.”

_ That's expensive for a latte.  _

He must not have hid that thought well, cuz he had managed to earn an even worse glare from the girl working the register. “Yeah, it's a lot I know.” She held out her hand to take the cash from him, and he dropped it in her hand. The girl rolled her eyes as she exchanged the cash in the register. 

“Something bothering you,” Nikolai asked, eyes scanning to get a look at her name tag, “Zoey?”

“Zoya,” she snapped back, her blue eyes cold as ice, “and no, nothing's bothering me. Except for nosy boys who ask random girls in coffee shops about things that aren't their business.” She held out the change, and Nikolai took it from her hand. 

“Alright then,” he replied,“lovely to meet you. Hopefully we will meet again soon.” He flashed a smile, one that normally could make anyone feel better, at Zoya. She remained unimpressed, eyes still giving him the same cold glare. 

“Just go to the pickup counter.”

  
  


Nikolai waited for a little bit until his name was called from behind the counter. He took his coffee to a table, where he set his things down and got his shit together, just to make sure he was prepped for class. He looked behind the counter again, just to see if the girl, Zoya, was there, and he could give her a playful goodbye before they went their separate ways and never saw each other again. Nikolai was slightly disappointed to notice that she had gone, so he quietly packed his things and walked out the door. 

He had barely made it halfway down the block when he felt something pushed into his shoulder, and looked to the side to see a girl with a head of black hair rubbing her temple. She barely reached his chin.

“Fucking asshole!” She yelled at the guy who had seemed to be the one who had pushed her, as well as holding up her other hand to make a rude gesture that if it weren't coming from such a short angry girl, he wouldn't have found quite so amusing. The girl then turned her attention to Nikolai, her blue eyes flashing with disdain. 

The girl from the coffee shop. 

She sighed and folded her arms as they approached the crosswalk. “You have to be shitting me right now.”

“Happy to see you too,” he replied, pressing the button to cross the street. 

“I don’t suppose you’re going to class now too.” Zoya scanned him up and down. 

“Actually yeah, I am,” he said, “I’m on my way to Russian History. What about you?” 

She pulled her sweatshirt tighter around her. It was the same midnight blue, he realized, as her eyes were. “Molecular physics.” She cast him another glance. 

_ So she’s smart _ . Nikolai tilted his chin down so he could meet her gaze. “So you’re on your way to Arts and Sciences too.” 

She turned her head to look at the crosswalk. “That’s the plan.” 

“I’ll tell you what,” Nikolai smiled at her, “since you seem to be having a bad day and I’ve apparently pissed you off, I’ll carry your books and walk you to your class. Sounds good?” 

The light turned, and Zoya began walking across the street. “I can walk myself to class, thanks.” 

Nikolai knew he shouldn’t go after her, that she had no interest and was probably even madder at him than she was before. But his feet betrayed him, and he ran to catch up with her anyway. 

“Please,” he asked, placing a hand on Zoya’s shoulder. She turned around, a look of surprise in her face. Then he saw her put the pieces together, shaking his hand from her shoulder and expression shifting from stunned to annoyed. She looked as if she wanted to punch him in the stomach. 

But instead of punching him, she slid her bag from her shoulder and shoved it into his chest. “Fine.” 

He took them from her, an involuntary grin spreading across his face as they walked down the street together. 

She crossed her arms and glared at him again. “Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” she spat. 

He looked at her and winked. She was actually very pretty, he realized, even if she scowled at him the whole time. “I’ll try my best, tsaritsa.” 

“ _ Excuse me? _ ”

\----------

Nikolai may have been a pretentious idiot, but he  _ was _ a pretentious idiot with a nice smile. But Zoya would never let him know that. She had enough common sense to know that letting him know what she thought of him would only boost his ego, and she wasn’t sure if she could handle that. 

But nonetheless she let him walk her to class. He carried her books down the street as he asked her questions about what she was studying (bioengineering with a minor in physics), what year she was in (sophomore), and who her good friends were (two girls named Nadia and Genya). 

“Did you guys meet in a sorority or something?” He smirked as he asked her. 

Zoya punched him in the arm. “Like I would ever join a sorority.” 

He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I did just meet you today.” 

“Well, since you seem so concerned, Genya was my roommate last year,” she explained, “and she was one of the only people I could stand. As for Nadia, we met in biology last year.” 

“So I see,” Nikolai replied, his hazel eyes focused on her. 

Zoya raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you looking at?” 

He smiled his infuriatingly charming smile at her once again. “Oh it’s nothing, tsaritsa. I’m just wondering how come I got the honor to meet someone so pretty and so smart.” He held onto her books with one hand as he adjusted his glasses with the other. He really was cute, she realized, although he did seem to be a bit dense as to think she could be easily won over with flattery. 

“And yet I had to meet you,” she retorted. 

“Yes, tsaritsa, I know my presence can be overwhelming. But you’ll get used to me soon, my friend,” he said with a mischievous grin. 

“So you think we’re friends now?” 

“Of course we’re friends now, tsaritsa.” He ran a hand through his annoyingly perfect blond hair. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

She rolled her eyes at his comment, and then turned her head to face front. She saw the sign for the College of Arts and Sciences above her, signaling the end of their walk. Zoya felt a small pang in her chest, though she couldn’t exactly pinpoint why. Nikolai handed over her books. “I’m on the second floor, and I assume you’re on the first, so I’m gonna get going.” He smiled at her one last time. “Goodbye, tsaritsa,” he said as he walked towards the staircase. 

Zoya turned to the other direction to walk to her class. “Bye, idiot.”    
  


“Be ready at six, okay?” 

She whirled around to look at Nikolai, eyebrow raised. “For what exactly?”

He turned around, gazing at her with sparkling hazel eyes. “Why our date, of course.” He winked at her. “Hope you have something nice to wear.”

**Author's Note:**

> im so sorry it's terrible i haven't written zoyalai in a while please forgive me


End file.
